Hands of Healing
by SoonChaos
Summary: After accidently killing a man, Kaoru flees from her father's wrath only to be given strange powers from a goddess. With dangerous men searching for her, Kaoru gains help from a wandering rurouni who finds a way to keep a past promise by protecting her.
1. Thoughts of Escape

Thoughts of Escape  
  
Another argument, another day. Kaoru held her swollen cheek, trying to push back the tears  
  
threatening to spill. Her futile attempts at changing her father's mind ended with another  
  
beating. But things had not always been this way. There was a time when laughter walked  
  
freely around the house, hand in hand with happiness. But the death of her mother unleashed  
  
a monster that was lying dormant in Koshijiro. Having his only child be a daughter was a  
  
thorn at his side. The fact that she was one of the most beautiful women in Japan didn't make  
  
his shame of a girl child abate at all. It only surged him further to mar her face with dark  
  
bruises and split lips. Kaoru moved around the kitchen, searching for cold meat for her new  
  
bruise. But all the food had been eaten and money for food had gone straight into gambling.  
  
Her hungry stomach growled and she clenched it tight. She sat on an old stool but it broke  
  
from ill use and Kaoru held a bruised cheek along with a sore rump. She felt like giving up  
  
right then. Time after time she would try to persuade her father to get a decent job. But he  
  
refused to leave the gang of thieves called the Black Fists. His ambition to rise high overcame  
  
any shame in robbing people. At nighttime gang meetings would occur, which consisted of  
  
drinking, swearing, and picking which noble to rob next. Kaoru hid herself in the small barn  
  
outside to stay out of the sight of the gangleader's lusty eyes. Those eyes terrified her  
  
every time she saw them. She would draw her thin and torn shawl closer around her and tried  
  
to find some errand outside to do. He had never tried to do anything yet, but the look of  
  
those eyes cemented a promise for the future. Kaoru was starting to cry when her father  
  
lumbered into the kitchen.  
  
"Stupid girl, why are you crying! Useless piece of dung! Go make me dinner!"  
  
"There's no food, father."  
  
He slapped her on the cheek sharply.  
  
"It's all your fault we're starving in this dump. If you didn't eat so much we would have  
  
enough food to feed the gang!"  
  
"Please, father, maybe if you tried to get a job at the-"  
  
This time it was a hard punch onto her recent bruise. He started swearing under his breath  
  
and stomped outside to look for the gang. Kaoru was almost frozen in fear and pain. The  
  
swelling on her cheek inflamed her whole face with agony. More tears dropped as she realized  
  
that dusk had come and that there would soon be a meeting. She slowly started to get up and  
  
made her way to her usual hiding place. She melted into a dark corner in the barn and buried  
  
her face in her hands. She tried to muffle the sobs as quietly as she could, but someone heard  
  
them and opened the barn door. She looked up and whimpered with fear. It was the gang  
  
leader and he had an evil glint in his eyes. He entered the barn and shut the door tightly  
  
behind him. Kaoru pressed her body in the corner, trying to put as much distance as she  
  
could between them. He grabbed her and threw her onto the small pile of hay. He started to  
  
chuckle as he lowered his pants.  
  
"I've been waiting a long time for this. You're such a temptress, you know that?"  
  
Kaoru could feel her arm blindly reaching for something, anything. Her hand caught hold of  
  
a wooden stick. Just as he began to lower himself down she grabbed the stick and thrust it  
  
into his chest. To her horror, the wooden stick was a rake with four sharp tips which was now  
  
protruding out of the leader's back. His mouth was opening and closing like a fish and Kaoru  
  
quickly let go of the rake. He fell and the rake was push up even further. Kaoru backed away  
  
with her hands on her face. *What have I done? What have I done? I've killed somebody!  
  
What am I going to do? Father will kill me now!* Kaoru could feel her whole body trembling.  
  
She knew that if Koshijiro and the gang found out about this, he would kill her. And he  
  
wouldn't just kill her quickly but would make it last. She knew what she had to do, she had to  
  
run away. She didn't know where but she had to leave this place. She wiped the tears on her  
  
eyes and tried calm down her frantic body. Taking deep and even breaths she opened the  
  
barn door and walked to the back door of the house. She crept in through the kitchen but  
  
froze in her tracks as she heard Koshijiro asking where the leader was. She quickened her  
  
pace and made it to her room with no one spotting her. She quickly put her long, thick hair  
  
up and smashed an old farming hat on. She took a long cotton scarf and wrapped it around  
  
her face. She was aware that many men paid close attention to her whenever she came out of  
  
the house. If she wanted to escape with nobody noticing her, she would have to hide her face.  
  
She had no other clothes except what she had on and no other possessions. She could hear  
  
someone walking about the kitchen, her way out was blocked! Then she felt a cool breeze  
  
coming from her window. *The window! I can slip out through there!* The steps that were in  
  
the kitchen started to go towards her room. She climbed out of the window as quietly as she  
  
could and pressed herself against the wall beneath her window. Her heart was beating so loud  
  
she felt that the whole world could hear it.  
  
"Damn girl, where did she go?"  
  
Her father's words were slurred and she could hear him going through her things. After an  
  
eternity she hear him leave and breathed a sigh of relief. She crept out the yard and started to  
  
jog for the dense forest that surrounded her village. Japan was big and Kaoru didn't know  
  
where to go. But if any place could hide her from her father, then she would blindly step out  
  
into a new world.  
  
*please review, this is an idea that just popped into my head and I'm wondering how it's doing 


	2. Power

Power  
  
She jogged for as long as she could. And when she couldn't jog anymore, she walked. It was a  
  
little before dawn when she stopped for rest. The adrenaline from before had drained away  
  
hours ago and all she was left with was the fear that her father would find her. She stumbled to  
  
a small stream and dipped her aching feet in the cold water. After a long soak, she reluctantly  
  
started to look for shelter. And to her luck, she found a snug cave that had plenty of room for  
  
her to stretch out and sleep. It was discreet and the entrance was partially hidden by trees  
  
standing nearby. She was starting to enter when she heard the rustle of cloth behind her. She  
  
twirled around to see an elderly woman with a bent back. A hundred year's worth of wrinkles  
  
were all on her face but her eyes twinkled with the joy of living. She gave a crinkled smile and  
  
bowed as low as she could.  
  
"Will you allow this poor old woman to stay with you for a while?"  
  
Kaoru's heart went out to the old woman and gave a cheery smile, despite her weariness.  
  
"Of course, please, come in."  
  
The woman walked into the cave and Kaoru followed.  
  
"It has been a very long night and I'm exhausted from all the walking I did." the woman  
  
explained.  
  
Kaoru took off her shawl and offered it to the old woman as a sort of blanket from the cold.  
  
The woman took it gratefully.  
  
"You're quite a beauty, my dear. What is your name?"  
  
"Kamiya Kaoru."  
  
"You may just call me Grandmother. It's been my name for ages beyond ages. So where are  
  
you traveling to? Or running away from?"  
  
Kaoru dropped her head a little. *Can she tell I'm running away?*  
  
"Just...off to see the world."  
  
Grandmother just patted Kaoru's hands lightly and started to lay down to sleep.  
  
"It's alright, dear, he won't find you yet...that lazy man isn't smart enough to look."  
  
Kaoru was about to ask how she knew but the old woman was fast asleep. Kaoru settled down  
  
herself and was soon asleep as well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was the late afternoon when Kaoru woke up to the delicious smell of cooking fish. She  
  
opened her eyes to see Grandmother roasting three fishes and cooking a pot of rice over a  
  
fire.  
  
"Late lunch?"  
  
Kaoru's stomach growled in reply and she gave a sheepish grin. The old woman took out two  
  
bowls and two pairs of chopsticks from out of nowhere and set them before Kaoru. The wood  
  
was old and the paint on the chopsticks gave only telltale hints of what they used to look like.  
  
But Kaoru didn't mind at all and ate with a healthy appetite.  
  
"Child, where are you planning to go?"  
  
"Anywhere but back ho-I mean, anywhere at all."  
  
"How would you like to accompany me to the next village? It's only a few hours away and we  
  
should be there well before dark. A helpless lady like me needs a young and strong escort to  
  
help her."  
  
"Somehow, I don't think you are very helpless...but I will."  
  
"Wonderful, shall we get going?"  
  
Kaoru was going to offer to clean the dishes but the pot was already gone and the only dish  
  
around was the bowl and chopsticks in front of her. Puzzled, she didn't say anything but  
  
wondered who the old woman really was. During their steady walk down the worn road,  
  
Grandmother began to talk about everything. From Japan's old history to the villages around  
  
that were torn apart by gangs of thieves. Kaoru would try not to wince when Grandmother  
  
began to talk about a particularly nasty band of thieves called the Black Fists. But she didn't  
  
stay on the topic for long and began to talk about her profession.  
  
"I've been a healer ever since I could talk. I know every plant's uses and how to heal anybody.  
  
It doesn't matter what you have, I can heal it."  
  
"That's amazing...so is that why you wander? To go to villages and help?"  
  
"You hit the target, dear. I've been looking for an apprentice who can carry on my job. But  
  
decent people are hard to find these days. I have yet to see someone who is worthy enough to  
  
carry such a burden."  
  
"Well, I hope you find someone before your time runs out, Grandmother."  
  
The two talked on and on about various things and Kaoru sometimes felt like Grandmother  
  
was looking into her very soul. Every question or topic always seemed to depend on Kaoru's  
  
opinions and thoughts. It was getting close to dusk and the village was still a mile away.  
  
"Grandmother, will we get to the village before dark?"  
  
The old woman stopped in the middle of the road and Kaoru looked questioningly at her.  
  
"Grandmother?"  
  
"Someone must carry the burden and do what they can to patch this old country up. I cannot  
  
do it for it's not my place on the earth to do so."  
  
"What are you talking about."  
  
"Me dear, I wasn't joking when I said I've been around for ages and ages."  
  
Kaoru's eyebrows were pressed together in confusion but her eyes went wide open in surprise  
  
when the old woman began to glow. Her form began to change, the back straightening, the old  
  
and crippled legs getting long and healthy, and the face. Her face smooth into one of  
  
incredible beauty. Her hair grew into thick and shiny locks of silvery blue and her twinkling  
  
eyes changed into dark blue hues similar to Kaoru's eyes. The rags from before transformed  
  
into a silky fabrics that looked as if it was spun from the heavens. Grandmother gave a smile,  
  
showing white and even teeth.  
  
"I'm sorry for deceiving you, Kaoru, but I had to know."  
  
"Know what." Kaoru murmured, her eyes lighting up with wonder.  
  
"If you were the one to give the gift to. I've been waiting for you for ages and now I can stop  
  
looking. Come closer Kaoru."  
  
Kaoru obeyed and moved closer to the glowing goddess. Grandmother opened her palm and  
  
on it was a silvery dust. She blew gently and the dust began to settle everywhere on Kaoru.  
  
But instead of sticking to her clothes and hair, it started to melt into her skin. Kaoru could feel  
  
a tingling all over her body and she gave a small shiver.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"My gift to help the mortals, the power of healing. With one touch of your hands, you can heal  
  
anything at all. But there are a few drawbacks. Every healing you do will take some of your  
  
own life energy. If you use the gift too many times in one day, then it will have repercussions  
  
on your body. So be careful, Kaoru! As a goddess, I wish I could do more. But even the gods  
  
have rules and this is as much as they will let me give."  
  
Grandmother leaned down and gave Kaoru a light kiss on the forehead, much like a mother  
  
would do. Kaoru closed her eyes at the unfamiliar feeling, trying her hardest not to cry.  
  
"He will find you one day, but it will not be as it was before. So don't be afraid of your past or  
  
your future."  
  
"Father?" Kaoru said, tears in her eyes.  
  
"You can't run away forever. And eventually he will find you, but as I said, it will not be as it  
  
was before. So don't be afraid."  
  
A strong wind picked up from nowhere and blew around the goddess, making her fade away  
  
like dust in the breeze. Kaoru looked down at her hands, wondering if it was just a dream. But  
  
Grandmother was nowhere to be seen, except for the scarf that Kaoru had given her. She  
  
picked it up and carefully wound it around her head. Dark was pressing in fast and she would  
  
have to reach the village before thieves start roaming about. Kaoru began to walk quickly  
  
towards the village but it would be too late.  
  
"Please let me get there safe, please let me get there safe." Kaoru chanted quietly. But trees  
  
began to look threatening and every sound and crack of a leaf was the menacing sign of a  
  
nearby thief. Her eyes darted side to side but she kept her pace up. Just as she was getting  
  
close someone grabbed her from behind and she was knocked unconsious on the head.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Loud drunken voices woke her up and her head burned from before. Her hands were tied  
  
back and her scarf was trashed in a corner. The flickering lantern light hanging above showed  
  
the haggard faces of thieves. Tattered clothes and blunt swords marked the traditional  
  
uniform of ruffians. Bottles of sake were strewn about and the floor was sticky from spilled  
  
alcohol. Kaoru wrinkled her nose at the terrible stench emitted from the men as they laughed  
  
in drunken reverly.  
  
"Hey, she's awake!"  
  
All the men turned from the seats by the rotten table and stared at her, a few licking lips. Lust  
  
were in all their eyes and Kaoru became terrified by the animal passion in their faces. A few  
  
got up and started to stumble towards her.  
  
"Who wants to go first? Nobody break her too hard, we all want a turn tonight!"  
  
They all started laughing at the callous remark and Kaoru steeled herself from their  
  
disgusting touches. Something crashed outside and all the laughing stopped. The men drew  
  
their swords and ran outside. She could hear their voices calling out accusations and insults.  
  
Another man talked back to them in a low and quiet tone. The men laughed and Kaoru could  
  
hear them all rushing at the poor unfortunate man outside. It was over in a matter of  
  
seconds, there was a clash of steel and some shouts of pain. Then all was silent and Kaoru  
  
once again steeled herself for the men coming back. But only one man stepped inside the  
  
room.  
  
*review review review review review 


	3. Companion

Companion  
  
She stared at his slippers, silently musing on whether or not she should look up. But  
  
hands reached down and gently started to untie the rope on her hands. She sat up and  
  
gingerly rubbed her aching wrists.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Kaoru looked up to stare up at hypnotizing lavender eyes that lacked any emotion.  
  
Unruly red hair spiked out from under a sloping kasa, and grew long down his back.  
  
*One man beat them all? Impossible, what kind of swordsman can do that?* Seeing that  
  
she was fine, he got up and started to walk outside.  
  
"Matte!"  
  
He turned around.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Did you kill all of them?"  
  
"No."  
  
She gave a sigh of relief.  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked.  
  
"Somewhere."  
  
"To the village?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Can I go with you?"  
  
Looking at her filthy clothing and dirt smudged cheeks, he wondered if she was just  
  
some poor waif who was looking for work. Though her eyes looked slightly jaded she  
  
held her head high, something a waif would never do. But there was a silent pleading in  
  
her eyes and a hint of fear as well. What was she scared of, perhaps she was a runaway  
  
slave?  
  
"Why should I take you along?"  
  
"Because I need help."  
  
He gave a sigh. He did take a vow to help all people...but did runaways like her count?  
  
"I will take you as far as the village, no more. After that you are on your own."  
  
Relief shone through and she gave her first grin in days.  
  
"Thank you. I'm Kaoru by the way. Kaoru Ka- you can just call me Kaoru." she said as  
  
she picked up her scarf. She wounded it all around her nose and mouth and followed the  
  
man through the forest.  
  
"Why have you wandered so far from home? Are you lost?" the man asked softly without  
  
turning around.  
  
"I'm off to see the world. I want to go to new places and forget my old life." she replied,  
  
keeping close to her savior. "It's a choice that I made." she added, hoping he wouldn't  
  
suspect anything. Daughters who ran away from home were branded as a disgrace in  
  
society. She glanced sideways at him, waiting for a reply. He didn't say anything and  
  
soon they came upon the village gates. She bowed deeply at him.  
  
"Thank you so much for saving me. But I was wondering-"  
  
"This is as far as I will take you, the rest is up to you. Good day."  
  
He tipped his hat and quickly entered the village, disappearing into a crowd of morning  
  
shoppers. With a disappointed sigh, the lone girl walked into the street. She had been  
  
hoping that perhaps he would accompany her. She felt safe with him, even though he  
  
was a complete stranger. People pushed passed her and she could feel the stares  
  
pressing at her back. There was suddenly a huge crash and screams tore the air. She ran  
  
towards a crowd of people gathering around. She went on tip toe so she could see what  
  
had happened and gasped at the sight of blood. An old woman was weeping wildly as  
  
she held a tiny gasping boy in her arms. The boy must have gotten in front of a cart,  
  
bruises marked his face there were numerous gashes across his body with blood flowing  
  
heavily. Her fingers began to tickle and she looked down at them to see it glowing a pale  
  
blue. *Use them, heal with them* A voice whispered inside her head. Her feet moved  
  
step by step by some invisble force till she was kneeling by the boy. Her hands reached  
  
over and touched his chest. A bright light exploded and Kaoru fainted.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A hand gently slapped her face. Kaoru moaned and pushed the hands away, content to  
  
stay sleeping.  
  
"Wake up." Said a soft voice. "Miss, wake up."  
  
She was so tired, she just wanted to sleep. Why was somebody bothering her from her  
  
much needed rest? She blearily opened her eyes to meet the lavender gems of her  
  
savior. Why was she lying down and looking at the sky? Wait, the explosion of light, the  
  
hurt boy. She sat up but nearly fell back down again, her head felt like it had split in two.  
  
She groaned and held her head as the savior helped her sit up. There was a large crowd  
  
of people standing in a circle around them, silently staring in a almost fearful awe.  
  
"What happened?" She asked, her head still aching like crazy. He picked her up in his  
  
arms and the crowd moved apart to let them through. Nobody followed but they kept  
  
staring and staring. "Did I do something wrong?"  
  
"Who are you?" He asked curiously.  
  
"Did you forget my name already?" She asked, slightly hurt.  
  
"No. Perhaps I should ask WHAT are you. Do you remember what you did?"  
  
"I-I touched the boy and then I fainted. Wait, is he alright? Where did he go?!" Kaoru  
  
twisted her head to look back.  
  
"He's fine, his grandmother told me to tell you thank you."  
  
"He's fine? But...but he had so many injuries..."  
  
"You healed him. There isn't a scratch or a bruise on the boy. Which brings us back to  
  
my previous question, what are you? A demi-goddess? A magician?" He carefully sat  
  
her down on an outdoor teahouse table. He motioned the waitress to bring some tea  
  
and took a seat across from her. "Well?"  
  
"I'm just a normal girl, that's all. Oh, where's my scarf?" He pulled it out of his gi and  
  
handed it to her. She gratifully took it and began to wound it around her face again. "I'm  
  
no demi-goddess or magician or whatever."  
  
"Then what was that display from before?"  
  
"Er." Should she tell him? About the goddess who had given her the powers? Did she  
  
trust him enough to tell? He was a man though, and men couldn't be trusted. She went  
  
along with her inner instincts and gave a shrug. He must not have believed her  
  
completely because his unique eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. He didn't say  
  
anything however.  
  
"So what are you going to do now? Many people will want to ask of your services and  
  
you could become very rich with your power."  
  
"Rich? People?" If she became well known, then her father might find her. She shook her  
  
head hard. "No, I don't want to become well known. I think I might have to leave soon  
  
before somebody finds me. Thank you for your help, sir, I'm feeling a bit better, if you'll  
  
excuse me." Kaoru got up to leave but he grabbed her wrist.  
  
"Sit."  
  
She sat down.  
  
"I want to make an offer."  
  
"O-offer? What kind of offer?" Kaoru asked nervously.  
  
"I'll protect you till you arrive at your destination."  
  
"What if I don't know my destination." Kaoru explained, wondering why he was being so  
  
helpful now. He certainly hadn't even let her finish her sentence before, what was  
  
making him listen now?  
  
"Then I will accompany you till you find it."  
  
"Why are you helping someone like me?" Kaoru asked cautiously.  
  
"You remind me of a promise.....and someone I once knew. So do you accept?"  
  
A person to protect her, but she didn't even know him. He might be an evil man  
  
underneath that polite exterior. But he had saved her from those men single handedly,  
  
which meant he was skilled with the sword. She looked up from her thinking.  
  
"I accept."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He glanced back to make sure she was still following. She was keeping up without a  
  
complaint though her sporadic stumbling gave away that she was getting tired. With a  
  
sigh he led her into the forest where there would be some coverage from other  
  
travelers.  
  
"We'll stop here for tonight, I can see you're getting tired."  
  
She chagrinned.  
  
"I don't know why but I feel so tired, I'm usually not this tired from such a short amount  
  
of walking. I don't know what's wrong with me." She smacked her forehead. Of course,  
  
the goddess had warned her about this, using her powers sapped up her own energy  
  
supply. She sat down on a fallen trunk as he gathered wood to start a fire. "I'm sorry, I'd  
  
help but I don't think I can get up again."  
  
"It's alright."  
  
She watched him stack the wood then gave a grunt and stood up. She never liked having  
  
people do things she could do herself. She walked around and picked up various pieces  
  
of wood, though wobbling a bit whenever she straightened up. Warm hands took the  
  
wood away from her and sat her down on the trunk again.  
  
"Just sit down and let me do the rest."  
  
She gave a yawn.  
  
"I guess you're wondering why *yawn* a girl like me is going around all alone."  
  
"It would be interesting to know." He took flint from his small bag and striked it till a  
  
spark caught on some dry leaves. She nestled her head in her lap, feeling herself drifting  
  
off to sleep.  
  
"I'm running."  
  
"Running from what?"  
  
"Death."  
  
"Who's death?"  
  
She gave a giggle, sounding like a little kid.  
  
"My father of course." She gave a sniffle as if she was going to cry. "He HATES me. It's  
  
why I have all these." She held out an arm and the yukata's sleeve slipped down her arm  
  
to show masses of dark bruises that looked like someone had gripped her arm too hard.  
  
"He broke my ribs once, because I burnt dinner. I kept telling him and telling him that I  
  
was a horrible cook, ever since mother died. But he didn't believe me." She gave  
  
another sniffle. "And...and since I killed the leader, he'll be looking for me now."  
  
"What does your father look like, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked but she was already fast  
  
asleep in her awkward position. She was so innocent. Like Tomoe, she had an aura of  
  
purity around her. Despite the bruises on her arms, she looked like she would be  
  
content spending an afternoon picking flowers under a warm sun. He gently picked her  
  
up laid her down on a patch of grass. She shivered as she cuddled into a ball. He dug  
  
into his pack and pulled out an extra gi, covering it around her small form. Looking  
  
down at her, he remembered what he had said to her earlier. The promise. Perhaps it  
  
would be easier to keep it now that he was with Kaoru.  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
*Ack, a bit short, and after such a long time of not updating. Sorry folks! I swear on my honor of a writer...hm, is there any honor in that? okokok, I swear by my love for all anime (especially Kenshin) to make the next chapter very long to make up for the shortness of this one. ^^ don't forget to review!!!!!! 


	4. Secret Sorrow

Author's Notes: I hope I made up for the short chapter before, and I hope I'm actually starting to get into the plot. ^^ For those who are sticking with this story, thank you! I know I'm barely updating my stories under this name and I feel bad for neglecting it for so long. *crossing fingers for 10 reviews*  
  
Hands of Healing  
  
Chapter 4: Secret Sorrow  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
A chill began to seep through her clothes and Kaoru tensed herself, waiting for her father to loudly stomp into the kitchen with anger following right behind. Yet, there was nothing but the crackling sound of a warm fire. She opened her eyes to see her rescuer bent over the flickering flames with a painful look of reminiscence in his lavender eyes. He wasn't in the woods anymore but in a place far away that she couldn't reach him. She sat up, clutching the gi over her lean frame, and gave a small cough to get his attention. His head whipped up and his hand was already over the hilt of his sword. He eased down when he saw her but his hand didn't leave the sword, only fingering the worn fabric.  
  
"Kamiya-san, how are you feeling?" He asked gently.  
  
"Much better." She relayed as she stretched, gingerly feeling the soreness of her muscles. If this was how she was going to feel every time she did a healing...maybe she shouldn't use it too often. Besides, she couldn't attract attention to herself, if she did healings it would have to be private and few. If her father ever heard word of her, she shuddered. How many blue haired, blue-eyed women were there in Japan? She reached up to her face and gave a sigh of relief when her fingers met the frayed edges of her scarf. She would rather hide than go back to that despicable place she once called home.  
  
"So, um, could I know your name?" She asked shyly, suddenly aware that she couldn't call the man her rescuer all the time. There was a long pause that followed, as if he was thinking very hard about his name.  
  
"Himura. Himura Kenshin. But I have been called Rurouni Kenshin as well." He said, almost hesitantly.  
  
"Ken-shin. Heart of sword, I like it." She said brightly and she stood up. The morning was chilly but the bright sky above gave a solid promise of a warm day, and best of all, she didn't have to fear being alone anymore. "So where are we going today?"  
  
"You don't know your destination?" He asked curiously.  
  
"Oh, yes," she stammered. "Um, I plan on going to Kyoto, I have some relatives there that I'm staying with."  
  
"Kyoto..." That look was back again, that sorrowful gaze of going back to the past. Kaoru bit her lip and wished she had picked a different city.  
  
"Um, but I plan on visiting some villages on the coast before then." She lied. Maybe she could find work before they arrived to Kyoto, and then he wouldn't need to help her anymore. The major cities always attracted thieves and she didn't wish to one day run into her father. A small, isolated village would do perfectly, one that didn't prosper, thus not attracting scoundrels and such. "I'm just going on a sightseeing tour around the coast before I settle down with my relatives." She lied again, hoping to make her story more plausible.  
  
He took her word and nodded his head, the fire red bangs encircling his face. For the rest of the day, the two walked down the dusty road in silence. In a feeble attempt, Kaoru desperately tried to pull a conversation from him but to no avail did he give more than one word answers. She finally gave up and took to soaking in freedom and relaxation she had never felt in all her years. The countryside was utterly peaceful and there were always several backs painfully bent before rice fields. But only a few cared enough to catch sight of the strange picture of the red haired and blue haired travelers walking down the road.  
  
It was near dusk that they finally stopped to take shelter in another clearing in the woods, too far away from a village to stay at an inn. Not that they would have the money to do so. Kaoru winced as he began to start a fire. She didn't have any money at all, and she had nothing of value on her to sell. Where would they get the money to feed themselves? Kenshin miraculously had some onigiri hidden away in his gi but what were they going to do the day after that?  
  
"Kamiya-san." He said softly.  
  
"Kaoru, it's Kaoru." She berated him lightly. She had spent hours trying to get him to say her name, and he had improved enough to say Kaoru-dono.  
  
"Kaoru-dono, there's a small hot spring beyond those trees over there."  
  
With a smile she thanked him and began to quickly walk towards where he had pointed. She couldn't remember the last time she had the luck of taking a bath in a hot spring. True to his word, she saw steam flowing up from a small pool. After taking a quick look around, she tore off her clothes and slowly slid into the water. It was heaven for a sore and dirty body and Kaoru slid all the way down till only her nose was poking out. She was on the brink of falling asleep when a rustle of bushes jerked her out of her drowsy state. Kenshin wouldn't peak on her, would he? She heard a heavy step come closer. No, it couldn't be him, he always walked as if he was sneaking around  
  
"Who's there?" She called out while hiding her chest with her arms. She shrank back when a pair of burly men stepped out from the shadows. Her mind panicked as their eyes gazed heavily on her body. "K-"  
  
The word barely came out of her mouth when a third man stepped out from the shadows, unbelievably tall with even taller brown hair standing on end. He cracked his knuckles and the two men turned around in surprise. With an easygoing grin he lifted two hands and flicked a finger at each of their heads. They flew back like a horse had kicked them in the chest and fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. Kaoru was about to call for Kenshin's name again when he appeared out of nowhere and held the sword near the tall man's throat. The man immediately put his hands up.  
  
"Hey hey shorty, I'm was only helping the pretty lady out. I'm on your side." He said reassuringly.  
  
"Kenshin, let him go, he saved me from being-TURN AROUND!!!" She yelped and both men blushed and whirled to face the trees. How stupid was she, just sitting around naked with two men in front of her! She was reaching for her far off clothes when a magenta gi fell by her hands. She looked over to Kenshin who was only wearing his tan colored undershirt. With a murmur of thanks, she quickly slipped on the large shirt and tied it around her waist with her scarf. After checking to make sure nothing was showing, she tapped their shoulders.  
  
"Thank you for saving me." She said to the tall man.  
  
"No problem, thanks for the free show."  
  
SMACK.  
  
Kaoru's hand was in the air, her face livid with rage. The tall man backed away from her with a fearful look on his face. "You-you-you roosterhead!" She bellowed and stomped back towards the clearing. Kenshin's eyes flickered specks of amber as she disappeared.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked.  
  
"Just a guy looking for a good fight." The man shrugged. "And saving as many beautiful women as I can. Sorry if I was being too forward with your woman."  
  
"She's not." Kenshin said and his hand relaxed off his sword.  
  
"She's what?" The man asked, though he had clearly heard him.  
  
"She's not my woman. Your assistance is thanked." With a hard look, Kenshin walked back towards their clearing. The tall man's casual behavior promptly changed into a feral smile. He had found her.... and his new rival. Koshijiro would be pleased.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was the next day that Kaoru did her second healing and found a way to make money. After walking for two hours, they came upon a thriving town that was just short of being a full fledged city. After quietly thinking to herself all night, Kaoru found a way to push away the guilt of being a freeloader. If she healed someone who was wealthy, she could bring in a fortune for saving his or her lives. Now all that had to be done was to find a sick, desperate, rich person who would do anything for help. The gods must have been with her when a young manservant stood in the middle of the town square and began shouting for help.  
  
"Anybody who has knowledge of the healing arts, whether it be medicine or magic, please follow me!!! My master is on the brink of death and needs attention immediately! Please!!! Anybody!!!" The man shouted...desperately. Kaoru's eyes gave a twinkle as she grabbed Kenshin's shirt and pulled him over to the manservant.  
  
"I'll heal your master to perfect health, on the condition that I'm richly rewarded." She demanded as seriously as she could. The manservant looked at her up down, from the worn scarf covering her face to the ragged clothes on her body.  
  
"My master would never tolerate common thieves-"The servant began but backed off when Kaoru pulled down her scarf low enough so that he could see her face.  
  
"I have never been a thief in my life, nor am I common. I am, however, the only person who will be able to save your master's life. But it all comes to a price."  
  
The manservant took a gulp as he stared into her unusual ocean blue eyes, then nodded. With a wave of his hand, he began to lead them out of the town square and towards a quieter part of the town.  
  
"He was always weak in health but then last night he grew worse. I called his usual doctor but the idiot told me he couldn't do anything. And now I've been driven to ask commoner for help." He said as he nervously pulled the gates of mansion open for them. "And don't steal anything."  
  
"I told you-"Kaoru hissed but grew quiet when Kenshin laid a hand on her shoulder. The man led them through a series of hallways and finally stopped in front of a pair of imposing shoji doors inlaid with gold. Kaoru took a gulp and opened the doors, the stench of a sick body nearly made her recoil but she knelt down beside the ailing figure. He was an aged man and his chest rose up and down so slowly that it appeared that he was barely breathing at all. The manservant was looking over her shoulder, while hopping on one foot then the other.  
  
"Could you, erm, wait outside the room?" She asked.  
  
"And leave my master all alone? Of course not!" He exclaimed.  
  
"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked and the redhead led the servant out the door despite loudly issued complaints. Once the shoji doors closed shut, Kaoru lifted her hands and placed them on the man's chest. She fought down a gasp as something started to painfully suck on her soul. It felt like it was trying to pull her heart out and after several seconds, Kaoru wrenched her hands off the man and crumbled to the floor. She fought back tears as the agony started to ease away and after a minute, her body felt normal again. *Kami it hurts*  
  
"Ugh....Kane....Kane..." The man feebly called out. Heavily wrinkled eyes blinked open and Kaoru sat up to hold the man's hand. When realizing she was touching him she threw the man's hand off. Wait...no soul sucking feeling, no pain....but she touched him, didn't she? Did that mean that she healed only when in contact with an ill person?  
  
"Grandfather, how are you feeling?" Kaoru asked as the man spryly sat up and kicked off the covers.  
  
"Grandfather? Where?" The old man turned his head this way and that. "Kami, I haven't felt so well since I was 20! Kane?" The old man turned his eyes onto Kaoru. "And who are you? Why are you in my room? Where's Kane?"  
  
"He's waiting outside. I'll bring him in right away." Before Kaoru could stand up the man's hand shot out and tugged her back down.  
  
"Wait, are you a geisha?" He asked eagerly.  
  
"Ahh...Kane!" She called out and the shoji door slammed open. Kane sped over to his master.  
  
"Master! You're alright!!" Kane sobbed out. "I thought you were going to die!!!"  
  
"Ahem..." Kaoru said. "The payment, please?"  
  
Kane gave an indignant sniff and proceeded to bow before his master. "Master, this commoner who might be a thief brought you back from death and is now cheekily asking for payment for bestowing what was rightfully yours in the first place."  
  
"She's not a geisha?" The man asked as his face fell. "Wait, I was sick? Did you heal me, geisha?"  
  
I'm not a geisha, grandfather," Kaoru said through gritted teeth. "And you were sick. Your manservant promised me payment in return for saving your life."  
  
"Kane! How can you swindle this lovely geisha?! Go and give them their money!!!" The man said loudly. Kane ran off to do his master's bidding and came back with a tiny pouch of gold. After several more roars elicited from the man, Kaoru finally left the mansion with a heavy bag of gold coins, which was given instantly given to Kenshin despite refusals, a lovely painted fan, and a request to come back and sing for the old man, but in costume.  
  
"Can we stay at an inn tonight?" Kaoru asked as they walked down a crowded street. "If we run out of money, I'll just heal another rich man again. Please?" Kaoru gave a pout and Kenshin finally consented. After renting a room at a modest inn, Kaoru called on a second request.  
  
"Would you mind if I buy something less...torn to wear?" She asked. "I feel like I'm bringing attention to myself if I look like a beggar."  
  
"Was it because of what that servant said?" He asked as he watched her stammer out a response.  
  
"Of course not! I just feel that-"  
  
"Never mind, go ahead, it's your money." He said and placed several gold coins in her hand, an infinite amount more than she needed.  
  
"No, saving a life is priceless, and you saved mine already. I'll make more money Kenshin, I promise, and you won't have to worry about anything any more. Except maybe me. I'll be back before dark!" Kaoru sprinted out of the inn before he could say anything. There was something in those azure eyes that reminded him so much of the woman from his past. Was it the sorrow that sometimes secretly glimmered in both their eyes? Kaoru was so much of a mystery to him. Her origins, her disheveled and beaten state of appearance when he first found her, and those incredible powers. But what struck him the most was how fearful her eyes became whenever she was thinking. Like her thoughts might jump out and beat her.  
  
He sat outside, leaning against one of the wooden beams holding up the house and took himself back into his reluctant memories. It had been ten years and he still couldn't erase himself of the memory that always tore into his mind. The blood, the agony, and worst of all, the sorrow. He could run from his past, but he could never escape it, no matter how hard he tried. The guilt never failed to bring him to his knees, making him so eager to lift his sword and take his life, finally ending all the pain. But he had made a promise and he would keep it till the stars would crumple to the ground and humanity was nothing but dust on the ground.  
  
The sun had nearly set and he was wondering if he should look for her when he finally saw her walking into the courtyard wearing something he had not suspected her to wear. She had traded in her tattered yukata for a set of male's clothing, a dark blue hakama and a cream colored gi. She was sporting a low kasa that effectively hid her face, better than that ridiculous scarf she wrapped around her face. At least now he could catch her lips in a smile. She had several other packages in her hand and dumped them on Kenshin's lap and sat down next to him. She took off her kasa, letting her striking blue hair shine in the last remnants of the sun's light. Sometime in the day she had put it in a long braid that reached almost to her knees.  
  
"I'm so exhausted, I walked everywhere to find a good bargain and I met this wonderful woman who's a genius with clothing. And I got you some clothes too, instead of that pink gi you always wear. And I also bought some things we could use on the road. I didn't bother buying medicine but I did get us some cloaks in case it rains." She said with a grin. "I've never spent so much in my life but I guess its because-"She stopped her words then tried to cover them up with a broad smile. "Let's go eat, I'm starving."  
  
Kenshin opened his mouth to say something but then closed it and submissively nodded his head. Putting on the kasa again, Kaoru led Kenshin out onto the street and into a nearby restaurant. A busy waitress seated them in an isolated area off in the corner and promptly left them there. After a moment of silence, Kaoru tried to start a conversation.  
  
"Kenshin, um, would you mind if we leave at midnight? There's...there's something I need to do before we leave and it might take some time, but it should be done before that time." She asked uncertainly.  
  
"No, but what is it that you need to do?" He asked.  
  
"It's just a simple matter that I need to take care of." She lied smoothly but her stomach rolled in fear.  
  
"I should go with you-"  
  
"No! I mean, it's alright, it's not that important. And it shouldn't take much time, then we can leave."  
  
"Why at midnight? Didn't you want to stay at the inn?" He interrogated her.  
  
"I-it's-I don't feel comfortable here." She said flatly. Kenshin could feel his eyes turning amber at her false words and he took a deep breath to make it go away.  
  
"Kaoru-dono, what are you running away from?" He asked.  
  
A brilliant pain sparked in her eyes, making them glow with a staggering sadness. He wished he could take his words back as her face dropped into despair.  
  
"Kaoru-dono, it's alright if you don't want to tell me. You can ignore my question." He said as gently as he could. Her fingers clenched and unclenched in her lap, then she stood up in a quick movement and ran out of the restaurant. Cursing under his breath, he struggled to follow her petite and speedy figure. He looked at both sides of the street and cursed again. She was lost in the crowds.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
-So how was it? *nervously pulls at fingers* More on why she was acting scared will come in the next chapter, along with yahiko's introduction and maybe more on sano's role in this story. It will be devious, considering his nature...  
  
Mewberries: I almost forgot that kaoru didn't know his name but I remembered and stuck it in this chapter. And of course kenshin is hiding a secret, I have a vague idea of what his secret will be, but I'm still working on it.  
  
CB-san: *blushes* aw, don't say that, you should read Linay's stories, or Kyaa Kyaff's, now those are some excellent stories. Mine doesn't hold a candle, much less a flicker to masterpiece's like that!  
  
Serpentilewitch: yup, I purposely made him kinda cold. In this story, he will still be dwelling on past memories and he hasn't quite gotten hold of being a people person. But I'll try to retain some of his anime personality as well  
  
Gypsy-chan: thank you! I hope you'll stay with this story and not lose interest. I know I'm so horrible at updating but I have every intention of finishing this story! 


End file.
